I hate you, I love you
by HarpStar
Summary: After things began to settle down, Ichigo admitted his love for Rukia and decided to marry her. Orihime is absolutely crushed by this and decides to move to America for college to try to cope with her heartbreak. Will Ichigo and Orihime ever get the chance to be together or will they both chose to be with other people? ICHIHIME, RENRUKIA. Rated M to be safe.
1. Becoming Someone Now

**Author's note: Hello readers! I am writing this fanfiction based on a lot of my own personal experience. With that being said, I hope I can bring this story to life! Also, I want to say that I will try to update quickly but I'm going through an intense training program right now.**

 **The title comes from the song I hate you, I love you by Gnash ft. Olivia O'brien. It has inspired me to write this story.**

 **I own no rights to any of this content.**

 **Without further adieu, here is there story!**

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"Have a great day! Thank you for choosing Sandy's Sweets!" The lady picked the cake up off the counter and hurried out the door. This was the last customer of the day and I was grateful to get done work so I could go back to my dorms. Not that my job wasn't fun. On the contrary, I loved my job. Being able to work in a bakery had become my dream.

"Orihime, if you want to go home you can! I can clean up everything." Ender was always so nice to me. He was going to school for something math related so he would help his mom manage her finances for the bakery. Recently, he has been helping out with other stuff as well.

"No Ender, if we work together it'll get done faster." I looked over at him and smiled. It was nice of him to offer. Ender had kind green eyes and dark brown hair. It was about the same length as Ichigos. He was quite a bit taller than me. He smiled back at me.

As we worked together to clean up the bakery, I thought about the homework I had to do when I got home. It wasn't much because most of the classes taught me hands on skills. However, I had to take nutrition management and food safety management. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm skilled enough to own my own bakery but I loved getting to make sweet foods to bring other people happiness.

The only times that my job got hard was when I had to make wedding cakes. The familiar ache filled my chest at the thought of weddings. I had chosen a school far away from all my friends just for that reason. After everything settled down, Rukia decided to live in the world of the living. Why? Because Ichigo had admitted his undying love for her.

We finished cleaning up the bakery and made my way out the front door, locking it on my way out. Ender offered to walk me home but I assured him that it wasn't far. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and made my way to my dorm. It wasn't a far walk and I didn't mind the cold much. It was already the beginning of March but the weather hadn't gotten warm yet.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I tried hard not to think about Ichigo and Rukia and over the past 2 years, I had gotten better about it. He had proposed to her not long after they had started dating. We had all been friends for so long, I guess they didn't need much time to realize that they were made for each other. Everything had happened so fast. I still remembered that day all too well. The heartache that I had felt was unreal. We were having a big get together to celebrate graduation. Everyone was there. Uryu, Tatsuki, Chad, Rukia, Ichigo and a bunch of other people from our classes.

Ichigo and Rukia had been attached to each other. Ichigo kept looking at her with this look of love and admiration. Rukia was giddy as can be. All smiles and complete bliss. They looked perfect together and every time their eyes met so many unspoken, intimate thoughts passed between them. With each of those looks my heart broke more and more. Every touch destroyed me inside. I thought it couldn't get any worse until at one point, he had led her outside.

At first, I thought maybe they couldn't take the passion that was practically bursting off of them and decided to go make out or possibly more than that. I couldn't get that thought out of my head at the time. I hated thinking like that. But every time I thought about them, my mind always thought about how Rukia got to do things with Ichigo that I would never get to do. She got to hold his hand, hug him, kiss him and probably make love to him. That thought always made me sick. I kept sipping the drink from my cup. I was much of a drinker but the alcohol numbed the pain that I felt. My friends were all either goofing off playing some board game or watching TV. I was on the couch pretending to watch whatever was on the screen and tried to keep to myself. We were all startled when the front door burst open.

"Guys! We're getting married! WOOHOO!" Rukia jumped for joy as she announced to everyone. She clung to Ichigo's arm and was practically glowing. All of the pieces of my heart, shattered even more into completely irreparable pieces. I knew now that it had gotten to a point where there was absolutely no hope that I could ever be with him. Everyone ran over to them, congratulating them. Except for Tatsuki who was by my side in instant. I could feel the tears in my eyes, threatening to spill. She quickly put her arm around me and led me outside. No one noticed when we slipped out.

As soon as the door closed behind us, I fell apart and started sobbing. Tatsuki led me back to my apartment. She hugged me tight. She was the only one who knew just how broken I was. At first, I didn't tell her and I thought I did a good job hiding it. But of course, Tatsuki could see right through me.

After that, I broke down and told Tatsuki about how I had been planning on attending a college in America. They had offered me a full ride and I needed to get away. I just couldn't stand looking at them together. I hated that I couldn't be a good friend and just be happy for them. Tatsuki was silent but she had said she'd understood. She told me I'd have to buy a laptop so we could email and Skype whenever we wanted.

As I made it back to my room, I turned on my computer to see if Tatsuki was online. It was so much easier to instant message each other. It was like she was right there with me. I hated that I had to leave and be away from her. It had been almost 2 years since I left Japan. Tatsuki hadn't been able to afford to visit me and I stayed in America over summer break to work. Ichigo had emailed me a handful of times and I had chosen not to respond. I know that made me a horrible friend but I just needed my space.

"Hi Tatsuki! Sorry if I'm slow to respond today, I have to do homework while I talk to you." I sent her a quick message while I opened my Ebook and started reading.

"It's okay Orihime! How was your day?" We chatted back and forth for a while until I finished my reading and decided to head to bed. It was boring material so it took me longer than expected. Looking at the clock I realized it was after midnight.

"Sorry Tatsuki but I have to be up at 8am for class tomorrow. I should get to bed!" We had been messaging back and forth but it was mostly just small talk. I missed how I used to be and I wonder if Tatsuki could tell how I wasn't as talkative as I used to be. I tried hard to stay upbeat so she wouldn't worry about me.

"Orihime wait, there's something I need to tell you about.." My curiosity spiked and I hoped everything was okay, "So I know I told you that it would just be me coming to see your graduation but, some of our other friends were also able to save enough money to go." My heart dropped. Of course I wanted to see everyone but I had worked so hard for this day and I had really wanted it to be just Tatsuki. I wanted to feel successful. I didn't want to have feel inferior to Rukia on such a big day for me.

"Oh that's great! They didn't have to waste their money on me like that though! I feel so bad… it's not such a big deal, it's just a graduation." I tried to ignore the sinking feeling in my heart.

"Orihime! Come on we're all so proud of you! Chad, Uryu, Ichigo and Rukia are all coming.. If you want me to tell Ichigo not to come I'll kick his ass for you." I laughed because I know she totally would. It made me feel better about it.

"No Tatsuki I have no problem with them! I'd love to see them." It was such a bad lie. I felt my heart sinking just at the thought.

"Orihime.. You don't have to do that.." I smiled to myself. If only I had a choice. Ichigo had been one of my best friends before he started dating Rukia.

"Tatsuki, it's fine. I'm fine! It'll be great! I really do have to bed now though, sorry! Goodnight!" I quickly shut off my computer before she could try to force more answers from me.

I quickly changed into my pajamas and flopped onto my bed. I stared at the bottom of the bunk bed above mine. My roommate had let me have the bottom bunk because she rarely slept here. She was always at her boyfriend's place or at her sorority house. I thanked the heavens for that because many nights I cried myself to sleep. Closing my eyes, I saw his face. I saw those intense brown eyes staring at me as I boarded the plane. I saw that scowl that he always wore. _'Yeah except for when he looked at her.._ ' I thought bitterly to myself and laughed a broken laugh.

At this point, I was so broken that the pain in my heart surprised me. How could I face him again? I wanted to be strong but I felt like if I saw him again I'd crumble. At that, I felt tears rolling down my cheeks onto my pillow. I had to face him and I had to face the reality that they were getting married. I put my hand over my mouth to stiffle the sobs that were inevitably pouring out.

When I left Japan, of course he was there with Rukia attached to his arm. I tried to ignore them and just focus on Tatsuki and everyone else. I glanced his way while I boarded the plane and saw him staring at me with an intense look in his eyes. I quickly looked away but, I could never get the look out of my head. Or the fact that Rukia was glued to him. They looked perfect together.

How could I ever have thought that I could compete with her? I was nothing compared to her. She was beautiful and I was just weak and useless. I decided to make something of myself. I knew I would never love anyone like I had loved Ichigo. That was another reason why moving to America was good for me. I had learned to take care of myself and I had to get comfortable with the thought that I was always going to be alone. Because I knew I could never have Ichigo. I had my friends of course but it just wasn't the same.

He was just perfect. In every way. Except for the fact that he would never be mine. I always wondered what would have happened if I had kissed him before I went to Heuco Mundo. Honestly, that probably would have just made things worse for me. He probably saw me as a sister and he would've been grossed out. Then things would be so much more awkward _. 'But, if I could just feel his lips on mine just once… Just to feel his warmth…'_ I forced those thoughts out of my mind. I couldn't think like that when he was with someone else.

'It's been almost 2 years and I still can barely imagine facing him. I can't imagine facing them together… Maybe seeing them will help me move on and get closure." I took a deep breath and tried to think about my other friends. Oh how I'd missed everyone. I let my wander back to the days before everything got so complicated…

 **Ichigo's POV**

Things hadn't been the same since Orihime left. I always thought that I only saw her as a sister but the day she left for America, I just felt strange. I watched her get on the plane and realized I'd miss having her around. She'd been a part of my group of friends for such a long time. I felt guilty whenever I started to think about her because I started to wonder if I had only seen her as a friend. Now that I was with Rukia, I couldn't think like that. To make matters worse, she didn't reply to any of my emails. It was strange not hearing for her for almost two years. Tatsuki gave us updates occasionally which made me even more confused. Why would she talk to Tatsuki on a daily basis but not me? Hell, she even emailed Ishida and Chad occasionally. She was such a good friend of mine, of course I'd miss her and want to hear from her every once in a while.

Currently, I was getting ready for a date with Rukia. We went on dates frequently. We hadn't made any majors plans for our wedding yet. I was currently attending a local university for a bachelor's degree in business and I have been working as a pharmaceutical salesperson. I was lucky to get the job that I had. It would require me to travel around the world once I graduated. Rukia hated that idea but the job would pay well. Rukia had been trying to figure out what to do with her life in the world of the living. I tried to encourage her to do whatever she wanted but she seemed unhappy. She currently was working at a clothing store at the mall.

I just hoped that she figured out what she wants to do soon. She seemed to feel out of place living in the world of the living. Lately she has been distant. I knew that she was planning a trip to the soul society to visit with her brother and some of our friends. The trip she was planning was going to be the same week as Orihime's graduation. Rukia was mad that I had wanted to go to America instead of to the soul society with her. I had tried to tell her that it wasn't every day that someone graduates and that we could go to the soul society anytime. Well, that just ended with a fight. She thought that because Orihime hadn't bothered to email either of us, we shouldn't waste our time.

Why did women have to be so complicated? The first year that Rukia and I had been together had been great. We had gotten engaged 6 months into our relationship and not long after, Orihime had left for America. That's when things started to feel strange. I knew that I loved Rukia but she had started acting different. Or maybe I was the one who changed first. I can't remember anymore. For a while, things were okay and I told myself that I was just missing one of my friends and that it was normal. But, then Rukia just started to seem unhappy. I had spent all of the time since Orihime had left trying to make things better with Rukia. As time went on, things just seemed to get worse.

Regardless of the reason, I wanted to be there for Orihime. I knew that if she could, she'd do the same for any other us. Orihime was asked to give a speech at her graduation since she had the best grades in her class. I wanted to be there to show her support. The graduation was only 2 months away now. I decided to type her a quick email again just to let her know I was going. I had told Tatsuki that it would be both Rukia and I originally. But plans change.

 **Dear Inoue,**

 **I hope this email finds you well. Have you decided what you want to do after graduation? Are you moving back home?**

 **Anyways, I haven't heard from you but I wanted to let you know that I'll be at your graduation. Rukia won't be able to make it unfortunately.**

 **Congratulations on being chosen to speak at your graduation!**

 **Hope to hear from you soon,**

 **Ichigo**

 **Orihime POV**

The first thing I always do when I wake up is check my email. It was a habit that I had just to make sure nothing was cancelled. The first thing I noticed was that Ichigo had emailed me. Since he was going to my graduation, I decided that I probably should respond this time. After reading it, it took me a minute to decide how I should respond. How do you address someone that you love so deeply and yet you've ignored them for almost 2 years? Hopefully he wasn't too angry. Although I doubted that because he was probably too busy with Rukia to even care. Honestly, I hadn't decided what I wanted to do after graduation. I knew that I couldn't run forever. But I was relieved to know that Rukia wouldn't be at my graduation.

 **Hello Kurosaki-kun,**

 **I am doing very well. Thank you for asking. I have yet to decide what I will do after graduation. I really do like it here in America. I'm glad to hear that you will be at my graduation although I'm sad to hear that Kuchiki-chan can't make it. I'm sure she has a good reason though! There are plenty of more important things.**

 **Thank you Kurosaki-kun! I look forward to my speech. How are you doing? How has school been? Have you set a date for your wedding?**

 **Hope that you are doing well,**

 **Orihime**

Half of what I had written was a lie. I wanted to move back to Japan to spend time with all of my friends again. I really wasn't doing as well as I had said. Academically and in my career maybe but inside I was still broken. I was dreading my speech and I really didn't want to know about their wedding either.

Pushing away from the computer, I got ready to start my day.

 _~Later on~_

I got back to my dorm after work and sat at my computer. Ender had worked with me again even though it was slow. We talked about random things and I told him stories about my life in Japan. Ender was a good listener and he was really curious about what it was like to live in another country. At one point he told me that he had started helping out at the bakery more because his girlfriend of 3 years had cheated on him and he needed to get his mind off of it. He still seemed upset by it when he was telling me about it. I felt so bad because I knew that pain all too well.

Ichigo hadn't cheated on me but he had crushed my heart nonetheless. I was just grateful to have a friend that I could relate to. It was a bit strange because in Japan, I felt like the friendships were different. I would never talk to Uryu about my heartbreak over Ichigo. That was something you only told your closest friends. It must have been cultural differences. I never told him about what happened with Ichigo for that reason.

Pulling up my email, I couldn't stop myself from checking to see if Ichigo had emailed me back. I had to remind myself not to get excited when I saw that he had.

 **Hello Inoue,**

 **It's good to hear from you. I am glad to hear that you're doing well. Rukia can't make it because she has plans to visit the soul society. Don't say that Inoue! Your graduation is very important. We're your friends.**

 **I recently started working as a pharmaceutical salesperson and school is going well. What about you? Are you working? We haven't made any plans for our wedding yet.**

 **Everyone misses you here. We all hope that you'll move back home after graduation. But, if you really like America that much then you have to make that choice.**

 **Hope to hear from you again soon,**

 **Ichigo**

This email caused so many emotions to stir in my heart. I knew he was speaking as a friend and I had to remind myself of that. Honestly, the email felt somewhat formal. Like talking to an acquaintance. _'I guess after two years of not talking, you can't expect much more than that.'_ I thought to myself sadly. I was glad they hadn't planned their wedding but also kind of hoped they would get married before I finished school so I had a good reason not to go.

Taking a deep breath, I started typing my response.

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 **A/N: Soo? Interesting? Do you guys like it or have any comments? My updates may be slow because I don't get a lot of free time so bear with me! Hope to hear some feedback! :)**


	2. Should Be Over You

**Author's note: I just got to see Stephanie Sheh (Orihime's English voice actress) at Otakon! In person she sounds just like Orihime. It wasn't my first time meeting her but the experience was amazing none-the-less!**

 **I also must say that Ichigo and Orihime's son is ADORABLE! So glad Tite Kubo ended it with them together!**

 **Anyways, enough about me! Thank you everyone for reviewing! I'm so glad that everyone is enjoying my story. I always get so worried that I will disappoint my readers. But I'm so glad that everyone is enjoying it so far! :)**

 **Hope you enjoy this one as well!**

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Graduation was just around the corner now. It was only a week away. I had been emailing back and forth with Ichigo on a daily basis. Things have gotten a lot less formal between us but, I still kept my guard up. We would only ever be friends and it still hurt to think about that. It got easier though. Over the two years that I hadn't talked to him, I just told myself that I needed to be happy for him because that's what friends were for. I was in a good place in my life now. Not that my life was horrible before but, the heartache was unbearable. But I pushed myself far out of my comfort zone to make sure I'd be okay to handle being alone for the rest of my life.

I knew that I had Tatsuki and all of my other friends but when they got into relationships of their own, they would be preoccupied. But I would be okay. My decision to move to America was the best thing for everyone in the end. My friends would know now that they didn't have to worry about me being on my own anymore.

Currently, I was working on my speech. I had already written out everything I wanted to say but, I was practicing in the mirror. It was awkward watching myself talk but I had to be prepared. I was incredibly nervous. I hoped I could keep my hands from shaking. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before trying the speech again.

"Hello and welcome to the celebration of this year's graduates.." _'Am I picking the right words or is everyone going to think I'm stupid?'_ I continued to practice for a while until I felt myself getting more confident. I decided to take a break to check my email. I found that I was eager to check it all the time. Opening my email, I quickly saw that Ichigo had emailed me back. _'Calm down Orihime. It's not a big deal that he emailed you.'_

 **Hello Inoue,**

 **So we are coming on Wednesday for your graduation on Friday. We're all excited to get to see you. We got two hotel rooms at the hotel that you told us about. We should easily be able to walk back and forth to your dorm right? We are going to stay for a week.**

 **Are you ready for your speech? Try not to be nervous.**

 **How is the weather there? I still haven't packed! It's crazy that we're all going to America! I imagine this is how you felt when you left Japan.**

 **Good luck preparing for your speech!**

 **Ichigo**

I smiled to myself. It made me happy that he worried about me giving my speech. I was honestly trying to figure out what to have them do while they were here. Maybe I could see if Mr. Goldman was in town to meet them. I had taken an extreme desserts course during my first year and the winner got to spend the summer interning with Duff Goldman. I had won the competition and it was an amazing experience. Who wouldn't want to work with the master chef from _Ace of Cakes?_ He had gotten to judge the cakes that we had made and I was astonished that he had chosen me. Working with him taught me so many things.

 **Hello Kurosaki-kun,**

 **A week should be plenty of time for me to show you guys around! I have a few things in mind that can do. I'm sure we will have a great time! Maybe I can make you guys chocolate chip onion cake with red bean paste frosting! It would be delicious!**

 **I'm nervous but I know it'll be okay! Don't worry about me hehe**

 **The weather is surprisingly warm now! I was thinking about taking you guys to the beach. The water may still be a bit too cold but we can always enjoy the nice weather and the boardwalk. They have a nice little amusement park there. It should be fun!**

 **America is great and you guys will have an amazing time!**

 **Looking forward to seeing all of you soon!**

 **Orihime**

' _Calm down Orihime. It's been two years. You should be over him by now. Don't get too excited!'_ I found that I was telling myself a lot. You'd think after two years your feelings for someone would fade. But I found myself missing him every day. It was difficult but I knew that I had to be satisfied with our friendship or I'd get nothing at all from him.

We had finished all of our classes so I was getting ready to go to work for the day. Lately Ender was getting more friendly. I was just glad to have a friend to talk to. Working with him was always fun. We always joked around with each other. It was kind of… nice. I worried that he would get the wrong idea though. I could never see him as more than a friend. We had started texting each other and he had introduced me to the world of memes. They always made me laugh.

Bzz bzz. My phone went off. It must be Ender. He sent me a meme every morning when I was getting ready.

"Having thick thighs means you can hold more puppies so who's the real winner here?" I laughed at that. Puppies were pretty cute.

"Maybe I should try to gain weight so I can hold more puppies!" I added a bunch of puppy emoticons to my text message. I quick got myself ready so that I had time to grab a quick breakfast at Dunkin Donuts on my way to work. I loved their donuts and coffee had become a part of my daily routine.

' _I wonder if Zeke will be at work today..'_ I hadn't thought to ask him. I got my breakfast and coffee and made it to work with plenty of time to spare.

"Orihime! Hey!" Americans didn't call people by their last names but it still felt weird to have him call me by my first name. After everything I had went through with Ichigo, he still had never called me by my first name. I felt the familiar ache in my chest just thinking about him. I looked over my shoulder as I unlocked the door and smiled, trying to mask the pain that I felt.

"Hey! How's it going Zeke?" Thank goodness Zeke was around to make the day go quickly. I just wanted the next week to go by so that I could graduate and see my friends. I didn't want to admit it, but I was excited to get to see Ichigo to show him how independent I could be.

"Good! Just tired as always. You know how it goes." He laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"No. I don't need sleep," I said as I gave him a serious expression which was returned by him looking at me confused and concerned, "I'm just kidding! Ahaha of course I understand." I laughed at his expression and he laughed too. I just wanted to see how he would react. We made our way into the bakery.

The morning went by quickly just as I thought it would. I decided to call Charm City Cakes on my lunch break to see if I could talk to Mr. Goldman. I punched in the number that I knew by heart and put the phone to my ear.

"Hello, Charm City Cakes this is Tia. What kind of cake can I whip up for you?" I smiled to myself, remembering the summer that I had had to use that line on more than one occasion.

"Hey Tia! It's Orihime." There was a sigh on the other side signaling how stressed Tia was. The cake shop got so busy in a daily basis.

"Oh Orihime! What's up girl? I haven't heard from you in a while." Tia still sounded enthusiastic but it was genuine. Not that sickly sweet tone that you would use with a client.

"Hey! Uhm.. I was just wondering if it's not too much trouble.. Is Mr. Goldman there?" I felt nervous asking because he was a celebrity and I knew he had better things to do than to waste his time talking to me.

"Yes actually he is! Want me to see if he can spare the time to talk to you?" She was so nice.

"If you don't mind but I don't want to put you out of your way!" I really didn't want to waste anyone's time.

"Orihime," she stated my name with a stern tone, "You are not a bother to me or Mr. Goldman. He would love to hear from you."

"Okay, great! Heh heh thanks!" I said sheepishly. I had gotten more confident but I didn't want to bother him if he was busy. Mr. Goldman had told me that I needed to be more confident.

"Duff, are you too busy to take a call right now? It's Orihime!" I heard her yell through the kitchen. I didn't hear a reply. I just heard static on the other line for a brief moment.

"Hey Orihime! How are things going? You're graduating now right?" He sounded enthusiastic and definitely didn't seem annoyed that I had called.

"Hello Mr. Goldman! My graduation is actually in a week. Uhm I was just.. Well I have so friends coming from Japan and I was just wondering.." I paused, unsure how to ask him to give up some of his time to meet my friends.

"Orihime, please call me Duff first of all. And if you're going to ask me to come meet your friends, I'd love to. I think that would actually be better though if they came to the bakery. We could give them a much better experience don't you think? Then I could still be here to oversee my work and they get to see us in action. What do you think about that?" I gasped at his offer and felt flabbergasted in a good way.

"Yes! Oh my I think they'd love that! I really don't want to be an inconvenience though.. I just thought it would be so cool for them to meet you!" I felt so relieved that he had offered such an amazing opportunity for my friends but I also didn't want to ask that much of him.

"Well Orihime I was actually thinking.. If I do this for you, would you consider working for me when you graduate? I have some ideas in mind about things we could go over as far as business opportunities. I've seen your talent and I think you'd be perfect for this." I felt so overwhelmed by his offer but I was also confused by what he was asking.

"Of course I'll consider it if you'll really take me on Mr. Goldman! I'd love to work in your bakery!" I'm not sure what he meant by business opportunities but getting more time to work with him would be an amazing career opportunity.

"Please call me Duff. I actually had some big plans in mind. I was thinking.. well I'd actually like to discuss my proposition in person. Are you free tonight for a meeting? We could meet at Italian Delight up the street from the cake shop." Again, I was confused but eager to take this opportunity.

"Of course! I get off work at 6. We can meet at 6:30 if that works for you to discuss it! I appreciate this so much Mr. Goldman!" I knew he wanted me to call him Duff, but the amount of respect I held for him just prevented me from doing that. I felt so overwhelmingly happy to get to work with one of my idols.

"Yeah that works for me! See you then!" He seemed pleased.

"Thank you so much, I'll see you later!" I smiled a huge smile and finished my lunch before returning to work.

 **Wednesday**

I was nervous to say the least. It had been such a long time since I'd seen Ichigo in person. I got up early because I wanted to make sure I looked perfect and that everything was ready and clean. I wanted all of my friends so see me in a new light. I really had changed after all.

I was also excited to tell my friends the news about what I would be doing after graduation. Mr. Gol- Duff had offered me a unique opportunity. He was opening a cake shop in Japan and wanted me to be a part of it. He wanted me to be one of the lead pastry chefs as well as the manager. He said with my skills and my knowledge of the culture, I would be a perfect fit for the job. He also wanted me to stay in America and work under him for a while again. He wanted to make sure that I knew all the odds and ends of management and business.

Because we would be business partners once this process started, he requested that I call him Duff. I wanted to decline but I knew that to be taken seriously in the business world, I probably should comply.

I smiled to myself as I jumped into the shower. What would my friends think of me now? Would they be proud of the person that I've become? I put shampoo on my hands and worked it through my hair as I thought about the day ahead of me. I would see Tatsuki and Uryu and Chad and… 'Ichigo…'

Closing my eyes and breathing in the steam from the shower as I rinsed the shampoo from my hair, I let my mind wander. What would my life be like if I had ended up with Ichigo? Would I simply end up as a housewife or would I be able to go to school like I had?

An image of Ichigo with Rukia in the shower flashed through my mind and I squeezed my eyes tightly closed, trying to make it go away. I hated when I thought about them getting intimate. When I thought about him touching her and pleasing her it just hurt so much. It was so inappropriate to think that way but I had.. I had always wanted to be with him like that. To be with him the way that she got to. To kiss him, to hug him, to touch him. I imagined his lips on mine and his hands slowly moving across my body. I felt my face heating up and I frantically shook my head.

' _No! I absolutely will not think like this!'_ I quickly finished my shower and pushed all thoughts about being intimate with Ichigo out of my head. He was my friend and so was Rukia. I could never have him now. _'Or let him have me…'_ I still felt so bitter.

I made my way back to my room after blow drying my hair and focused my thoughts on what I should wear. I wanted to look good of course. I decided on a white button up shirt, a black pencil skirt and black flats. I really wanted my friends to see the new person I've become. I decided to let my hair flow and even applied a small amount of makeup. I looked at the clock and noticed it was 10:30. Their flight was scheduled to come in at 12 but I had to take a cab to get a rental car. With all of their suitcases, I figured we'd need a car with a bigger trunk so I reserved an SUV.

I turned my face back to my reflection and looked myself over. I looked put together and confident. That's just what I wanted them to think. I grabbed my purse and made my way out of the building. My heart was racing and my nerves were through the roof. I tried to focus on seeing Tatuki. Oh how I'd missed her.

I called a cab company and told them my location to send a car. They were right up the straight so they said they would be at the building in less than 5 minutes. I stepped out of the building and took a deep breathe of fresh air.

' _Calm down Orihime. It's just.. It's just Ichigo. It's just your friend.'_ I tried to make myself remain calm. What would he be like now? Had he changed at all? The cab arrived and honked to signal for me. I got into the car and told him my location.

Getting to the rental car place and getting the rental car didn't take long. My roommate had helped me learn how to drive not long after I moved to America. She said it was a necessary skill in America even if you didn't own a car. She said you never knew when you would need to it. I was grateful to her for helping me learn since I never had anyone else to teach me.

Driving a big SUV definitely wasn't as easy as the little car she had taught me to drive in so I just made sure I drove slowly. By the time I made it to the airport, it was 11:45. I made my way to the area that Ichigo had told me that they'd be arriving in. It was almost 12 by the time I reached my destination. I had wanted to arrive right on time so I wouldn't have time to be nervous. The flight was scheduled to arrive on time.

After a few minutes of waiting and watching for my friends, people started coming through the doorway from the plane. I watched as people made their way through, one-by-one. I felt my heart beating fast but at this point I knew I wouldn't be able to make it stop.

The first person I saw was Chad. With how big he was, his head poked out above everyone else. His eyes slowly scanned the area and found me quickly. I waved to him and smiled. I had missed everyone so much. As soon as the crowd in front of him started to push through the doorway, I saw Tatsuki and Uryu in front of him. The instant Tatsuki saw me her face lit up.

"Orihime!" she practically pushed the people in front of her out of the way and ran over to hug me.

"Tatsuki!" I hugged so tightly, "You've gotten taller!" I pulled back from her and smiled. I could feel tears in the corners of my eyes but refused to let them fall.

"And you haven't grown an inch! Orihime I missed you so much!" She looked me over before pulling me back into her embrace for a second hug. I squeezed her tightly before letting go.

"I've missed you too Tatsuki but being in America has been amazing!" I looked from her to Uryu who was standing next to her. I smiled at him before moving to hug him as well.

"Hello Uryu! It's been such a long time!" I hugged him briefly.

"Hello Orihime, I am glad to see that you are well." He was always so polite. I nodded happily before turning to Chad and hugging him as well.

"Orihime, hello!" he hugged me back loosely. I could tell he felt slightly uncomfortable so I pulled back.

"Hi Chad! It's so good to see you!" I smiled brightly up at him and rubbed the back of my head while I laughed a little awkwardly. I thought about the one person I had left to greet.

' _Ichigo…'_ I looked around before I saw him standing slightly behind Chad, watching with a small smile on his face. The scowl was ever present and those eyes. The intensity in them still made my knees weak. His chocolate brown eyes, his handsome face and the messy orange hair that made him look sexy. My breath got hitched in my throat for a moment. Had he gotten even more handsome? I slowly made my way over to him and tried to smile to hide the hurt and ache he had put me through.

"Kurosaki-kun…" I breathed his name in a whisper, "Hello." I reached out and hugged him just as I had everyone else. Except this wasn't the same. The moment I embraced him, my heart stopped and his smell started to invade my senses. His smells was something so unique and intoxicating. He wrapped his arms around me and I felt… I felt… _'NO!'_ I forced myself to pull away and smile at him. His eyes stared into mine for a minute and made me feel like I was falling under a spell. The intensity almost made me faint.

"Hey Inoue. Long time no see." My heart melted at the sound of his voice. After two years of trying to get over him, how can he still turn me into a shy mess? The feelings may even be more intense now.

This was going to be a long two weeks.

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 **A/N: Well? Comments? Thoughts? Please review! :)**


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